Apparatus for shaping pavement

Abstract

An apparatus for shaping pavement, the apparatus comprising: a pavement-shaping member for receiving a flow of shapeless pavement material and generating a flow of shaped pavement material; and a paving machine mount, operably coupled to the pavement-shaping member, for coupling the pavement-shaping member to a paving machine, the pavement-shaping member comprising a concave pavement-shaping surface being disposed at a pavement ramp angle less than about 45 degrees and having a single radius of curvature less than about 60 inches.

1 . An apparatus for shaping pavement, said apparatus comprising:
 a pavement-shaping member for receiving a flow of shapeless pavement material and generating a flow of shaped pavement material; and   a paving machine mount, operably coupled to said pavement-shaping member, for coupling said pavement-shaping member to a paving machine,   said pavement-shaping member comprising a concave pavement-shaping surface being disposed at a pavement ramp angle less than about 45 degrees and having a single radius of curvature less than about 60 inches.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said paving machine mount is mechanically coupled to an endgate of said paving machine. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said pavement ramp angle is about 30 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said single radius of curvature is about 48 inches. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said paving machine mount is symmetric top-to-bottom and said pavement-shaping member is symmetric front-to-back. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising
 a pair of vertical restraining surfaces, mechanically coupled to said paving machine mount, for preventing motion of said pavement-shaping member in a plane parallel to a screed extension of said paving machine, 
 said pavement-shaping member being slidably coupled to said vertical restraining surfaces, 
 said paving machine mount being mechanically coupled to said screed extension. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a vertical guide rail for lifting said pavement-shaping member and following off-road terrain, said vertical guide rail being removably coupled to and extending forward of said pavement-shaping member and having a corner radius greater than about 0.2 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said corner radius is about 2 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein said vertical guide rail is symmetric top-to-bottom and said pavement-shaping member is symmetric front-to-back. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a compression spring disposed for transmitting a downward force from said paving machine mount to said pavement-shaping member. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said compression spring has a spring rate of about 100 pounds per inch. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said compression spring is a die spring. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a load cell disposed and coupled for measuring said downward force. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a vibrator disposed and coupled for applying a vibration force to pavement-shaping member. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for shaping pavement, said apparatus comprising:
 a pavement-shaping member for receiving a flow of shapeless pavement material and generating a flow of shaped pavement material; and   a paving machine mount, operably coupled to said pavement-shaping member, for coupling said pavement-shaping member to a paving machine,   a pair of vertical restraining surfaces, mechanically coupled to said paving machine mount, for preventing motion of said pavement-shaping member in a plane parallel to a screed extension of said paving machine,   said pavement-shaping member being slidably coupled to said vertical restraining surfaces,   said paving machine mount being mechanically coupled to said screed extension,   said pavement-shaping member comprising a concave pavement-shaping surface being disposed at a pavement ramp angle of about 30 degrees and having a single radius of curvature of about 48 inches.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a vertical guide rail for lifting said pavement-shaping member and following off-road terrain, said vertical guide rail being removably coupled to and extending forward of said pavement-shaping member and having a corner radius greater than about 0.2 inches. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein said corner radius is about 2 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein said vertical guide rail is symmetric top-to-bottom and said pavement-shaping member is symmetric front-to-back. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a compression spring disposed for transmitting a downward force from said paving machine mount to said pavement-shaping member. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said compression spring has a spring rate of about 100 pounds per inch. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said compression spring is a die spring. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19  further comprising a load cell disposed and coupled for measuring said downward force. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising a vibrator disposed and coupled for applying a vibration force to said pavement-shaping member.